BENGALURU: Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday defended the police firing at those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Mangaluru, as the issue continued to rock the assembly for the second day. While the opposition termed the firing as a “police excess” and demanded a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge, the government defended the police, saying the action was inevitable to prevent any further loss to lives and property.
Citing scathing observations made by a High Court judge on Tuesday while granting bail to those arrested in the Mangaluru incident, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said, “A day before police firing in Mangaluru, the CM had said that he had not given permission for a lathicharge, but the next day the police opened fire killing two innocent people. There are invisible hands superceding the CM,” he said.
“The police commissioner was directly responsible for the firing and a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge must be ordered. The police are being discriminatory. They bookcases against Congress leaders and anti-CAA protesters, while not taking any action against leaders like Somashekar Reddy and Kalladaka Prabhakar Bhat. Karnataka has become a police state, there is no democracy,” he said.
Law Minister J Madhuswamy raised a point of order to stop Siddaramaiah from referring to the High Court observations, saying the matter is before the court. As Congress members continued to cite the court observations, the minister said he may have to issue a contempt notice to Siddaramaiah. The threat led to heated exchanges. Deputy Speaker Krishna Reddy, who was in the Chair, said there is nothing wrong in referring to the observations and allowed Siddaramaiah to continue.
It was inevitable: Bommai
Rejecting the demand for a judicial probe, Bommai said that the police followed due processes and opened fire at a “motivated crowd” that had come to create trouble. He said that the government allowed protests across the state and also gave permission to protest in Mangaluru. But after getting information about possible trouble, the police withdrew the permission and imposed prohibitory orders.
He said that a PFI activist, who was involved in similar incidents in North India, had invited people to Mangaluru to create trouble. He said that one of the persons who died was earlier arrested in a rioting case and released on bail. The government will present all facts before the court during the trial, he added.
Unhappy with his reply, Congress members walked out of the house.
BSY’s quick mutt visit amid session
Tumakuru: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s quick visit to Kadusiddeshwara Mutt near Tiptur on Wednesday may be an indicator of him not turning an invitiation from a mutt down and maintaining relationships, especially after the recent controversy involving religious head Sri Vachananada Swami. “Amid the ongoing session, I have come here to seek blessings from swamiji, who wishes I complete my full term as chief minister,” he said.
Cong brings up hit-and-run cases
Bengaluru: During the Legislative Council session, Congress MLC Jayamala said that hit-and-run cases are “treated differently” by the BJP. She said, “When the son of one of our colleagues from the Lower House was involved in a hit-and-run case, the MLA himself took his son to the police station. Now, a similar incident has occurred and the accused is the son of an influential minister in BSY’s cabinet. However, the police are treating the case differently. While the CM is being ignorant, the Home Minister said he is yet to get the report. Why hide the accident just because the accused is the son of a BJP leader,” she asked.